Histology Laboratory: Endocrine System: Please Study These Slides Before Coming To The Class!

組織學實驗 :內分泌系統
Histology laboratory :
Endocrine system
Please study these slides before coming to the class!

Sources of the Pictures & Text
• Histology: A Text and Atlas (4-7th ed) ,
M.H. Ross & W. Pawlina
• Wheater’s Functional Histology (5-6th
ed), B. Young & J.W.Heath
Photomicrograph Taken by
Department of anatomy,
Kaohsiung Medical University
Endocrine System
• Pituitary gland
K-2-a, Pituitary Gland, HE
• Thyroid gland & parathyroid gland
NK-1-a, Thyroid gland (parathyroid gland ), HE
31-6718, Thyroid & parathyroid gland, HE
• Pineal gland
A007, Pineal body, HE
• Adrenal gland
NK-5-a, Adrenal gland, Human, c.s.
NK-5-a(2), Adrenal gland, Human, c.s.
Learning Objective
• Identify the main components of thyroid
tissue (follicles and colloid) and the main
cell types of parathyroid glands.
• Understand the main divisions of the
pituitary (adenohypophysis and
neurohypophysis) and its major cell types.
• Identify the zones of the adrenal cortex, as
well as the cells of the adrenal medulla.
• Recognize the structure of the pineal
gland.
Pituitary Gland
Pars intermedia
Posterior lobe
(Pars nervosa)
Anterior lobe
(Pars distalis)
Fig.1 k-2-a, Pituitary Gland, HE.

Fig. 1, k-2-a, Pituitary Gland, HE. This specimen is an
oblique section of the pituitary gland. The pars nervosa
(posterior lobe) is the expanded portion of the
neurohypophysis. The pars distalis is the largest part of the
gland. It contains a variety of cell types that are not uniformly
distributed. This accounts for differences in staining (light and
dark staining areas) that are seen throughout the pars distalis.
B A: Acidophil
B: Basophil
A C
V C: Chromophobe
A
B V: Blood vessels
V
B
Fig.2 k-2-a, Pituitary Gland, anterior lobe, HE

Fig. 2, k-2-a, Pituitary Gland, anterior lobe, HE. This
photomicrograph shows a region of the anterior lobe. The
acidophils are readily identified by the acidophilic staining of
their cytoplasm, in contrast to the basophils whose
cytoplasm is clearly basophilic. Chromophobes are also
very numerous in this field. The cytoplasm stains poorly in
contrast to that of the acidophils and basophils. The cells
are arranged in cords and clumps, between which are
blood vessels.
Herring body Pituicytes
Herring body
Axons
Herring body
Fig.3 k-2-a, Pituitary Gland, posterior lobe, HE
Fig. 3, k-2-a Pituitary Gland, posterior lobe, HE. The
posterior lobe seen here contains the nuclei inside the cells
called pituicytes, and unmyelinated nerve fibers extended
from the nuclei of the hypothalamus. The pituicytes are
comparable with neuroglial cells of the central nervous system.
The nuclei are round to oval. In H&E preparations such as this,
the cytoplasm of the pituicyte cannot be distinguished from the
unmyelinated nerve fibers. The hormones of the posterior lobe
are formed in the hypothalamic soma and pass via the nerve
fibers to the posterior lobe, where they are stored in the
expanded nerve terminal portion of the nerve fibers. The
stored neurosecretory material appears as Herring bodies. In
H&E preparations, the Herring bodies simply appear as small
islands of eosin-stained substance.
Thyroid gland
Parathyroid gland
http://goo.gl/LYUeMg
Thyroid gland
Thyroid gland (NK-1-a)

Follicular cells : Simple cuboidal epithelium
Follicle
Colloid
Para-
thyroid
gland
Fig. 4, NK-1-a, Thyroid gland, HE.

Fig. 4, NK-1-a, Thyroid gland, HE. A histologic section of the
thyroid gland is shown here. The follicles vary somewhat in
size and shape and appear closely packed. The
homogeneous mass in the center of each follicle is the colloid.
The follicular cells appear to form a ring around the colloid and
the nuclei of the cells serve as an indication of their location
and arrangement.
C
Oxyphil cell
Chief cells
Parathyroid gland
S
Fig. 5a , NK-1-a C: Capsule; S:Septa; V: Vessel Fig.5b, parathyroid gland, HE.
Fig. 5a The blood vessels are associated with the capsule of
the parathyroid gland. The parenchyma of the parathyroid
glands appears as cords or sheets of cells separated by
capillaries and delicate connective tissue septa.
Fig. 5b, NK-1-a, parathyroid gland, HE. Two parenchymal

cell types can be distinguished in routine H&E sections: chief
cells (principal cells) and oxyphil cells. The chief cells are
more numerous. They contain a spherical nucleus surrounded
by a small amount of cytoplasm. Oxyphil cells are less
numerous. They have a slightly smaller and more intensely
staining nucleus. Their cytoplasm stains with eosin, and the
boundaries between the cells are usually well marked.
Parathyroid
gland - Thyroid gland
Chief cells
Parafollicular cells
Fig. 6 , 31-6718 Thyroid & Parathyroid

Fig. 6, 31-6718 Thyroid & Parathyroid
Scattered among follicular cells and in spaces between the
spherical follicles are another type of thyroid cell, parafollicular
cells (also called "C cells"), which secrete calcitonin. They are
somewhat larger and lighter staining than follicular cells.
Pineal gland
Capsule
Brain sand
Brain
sand Pinealocytes
&
Glial cells
BV
Fig. 7, A007, Pineal body, HE.

Fig. 7, A007, Pineal body, HE. This slide shows the pineal
gland is surrounded by a very thin capsule that is formed by
the pia mater. Connective tissue extends from the capsule into
the substance of the gland. Within the gland there are two
specific cell types: pinealocytes and glial cells, can’t be
distinguished in the slide. Brain sand is calcified structures
whose function is unknown. Concentrations of brain sand
increase with age. They are sometimes used as anatomical
landmarks in radiological examinations.
Adrenal gland
Cortex
Medulla
Medulla
Cortex
Capsule
Fig. 8, NK-5-a, Adrenal gland, HE. Adipose
Fig. 8, NK-5-a, Adrenal gland, HE. This low-magnification
micrograph of a section through the adrenal gland shows the
outer capsule, which consists of dense connective tissue, the
cortex and the underlying medulla. The cortex has a distinctly
different appearance in both structural organization and
staining characteristics of the medulla. A small amount of
adipose tissue surrounds the capsule is seen at the lower
portion of the micrograph. The corticomedullary boundary
(dashed lines) has a wave-like contour. Within the medulla are
a number of relatively large blood vessels. These are the
medullary veins that drain both the cortex and the medulla.
Medulla
Zona
reticularis
Zona
fasciculata
Zona
Capsule glomerulosa
Fig. 9, NK-5-a, Adrenal gland, HE.

Fig. 9 The zona glomerulosa is located at the outer part of the
cortex, immediately under the capsule. The parenchyma of
this zone consists of small cells that appear as oval groups of
cells. The zona fasciculata consists of radially oriented cords
and sheets of cells, usually two cells in width, that extend
toward the medulla. Poor staining characteristic of cytoplasm
of the zona fasciculata reflects more lipid droplets than those
of the zona glomerulosa. The cells of the zona reticularis are
arranged in irregular anastomosing cords.
Medullary vein
Capillary
Smooth muscle
Endothelium
Chromaffin cells
Capsule
Fig. 10a Fig. 10b Brown lipofuscin pigments in cytoplasm

Fig. 10a Capillaries are located within the thin connective
tissue and with the presence of red blood cells in the lumina.
Fig. 10b The zona reticularis cells contain relatively small

quantities of cytoplasm and lipid droplets, and sometimes
display brown lipofuscin pigment. The chromaffin cells in
medulla may stain with different intensity. One of medullary
veins is surrounded by chromaffin cells and has thin vessel
wall. The smooth muscle of the tunica media of the vessel is
readily seen here as being arranged in bundles and appears
in cross section.
Summary
k-2-a Anterior lobe (pars distalis), Posterior
Pituitary gland lobe (pars nervosa), Pars intermedia,
Acidophil, Basophil, Chromophobe,
Pituicytes, Herring bodies,
Blood vessles
NK-1-a Follicle, Colloid, Follicular cells,
Thyroid gland & Parafollicular cells, Capsule,
parathyroid gland Chief cells, Oxyphil cells
A007 Pinealocytes & glial cell, Brain sand,
Pineal body Blood vessels
NK-5-a Capsule, Cortex, Medulla, Adipose
NK-5-a(2) tissue, Zona glomerulosa, Zona
Adrenal gland fasciculata, Zona reticularis, Capillaries,
Medullary vein, Endothelium, Smooth
muscle, Chromaffin cells, Lipofuscin

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組織學實驗 :內分泌系統

Please study these slides before coming to the class!

Fig.1 k-2-a, Pituitary Gland, HE.

Fig.2 k-2-a, Pituitary Gland, anterior lobe, HE

Thyroid gland (NK-1-a)

Fig. 4, NK-1-a, Thyroid gland, HE.

Fig. 5b, NK-1-a, parathyroid gland, HE. Two parenchymal

Fig. 6 , 31-6718 Thyroid & Parathyroid

Fig. 7, A007, Pineal body, HE.

Fig. 9, NK-5-a, Adrenal gland, HE.

Fig. 10a Fig. 10b Brown lipofuscin pigments in cytoplasm

Fig. 10b The zona reticularis cells contain relatively small

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